IPF visits DESOPADEC’s Director Izoukumor, Seeks For Support, Development Of Riverine Communities

By Miracle Esegha

The Ijaw Publishers Forum, IPF has visited the Executive Director of Social Services in the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief Favour Izoukumor, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Commission’s office in Warri, as it appealed for support and development of oil producing and impacted riverine communities of the purview of the commission.

The chairman of the group, Ozobo who spoke on behalf of the group said Ijaw publishers were sidelined and abandoned unduly by Ijaw leaders despite their immense contributions.

While highlighting the body’s aims and objectives, Ozobo said building Ijaw mainstream media houses should be a responsibility of every well-meaning Ijaw leader.

However, the body presented an official congratulatory letter to the DESOPADEC’s ED, while commending him for his well-deserved appointment.

The body further demands for a working synergy between the Commission and Ijaw media organisations for publicity and proper information dissemination as well as sponsorship and empowerment of members of the body towards its growth.

While responding, Izoukumor thanked the professional body of media practitioners for congratulating him and also commended them for the roles they had been playing through the media in sensitizing the general public, and especially being in the forefront of nonviolence struggle for a better deal in the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta region at large.

The ED of Social Services further urged the media practitioners to be apolitical at all times, just as he promised to look into its demands, with the assurance that the Commission is ready to contribute its quota to the body’s growth.

Among the media practitioners in the delegation during the official visit were, Comr. Ozobo Austin of Congress Newspaper, Francis Abai of PENGlobal, Mingo Friday of Egbema Voice, Oyinbi Onduku of Niger Delta Mirror, MMD Tamsokunbiri of Kpakam TV, Anthony Demebide of Ultimate Report Nigeria, Tamaraupreye Ekpegha of South South Daily, and Bibaikefie Peres of Iduwini Voice.

It would be recalled that the IPF had membership cut across the states of Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, Rivers and others, with key objectives of unifying Ijaw publishers, building formidable Ijaw media outfits, promoting Ijaw activities, refining priorities and support for each other, creating nonviolence awareness and revolutionizing Ijaw quest for resource control and self-determination.